[stemked]

I've spent a rather unsuccessful hour trying to find a mail company on-line (US) to process some of my old 220 Etachrome film. Anyone know a good lab that doesn't charge an arm and a leg?

[pepperberry farm]

I always recommend Dwayne's Photo, in Parsons Kansas....

they are reopening on July 6th, but do not know what services they will be offering:

Dwayne?s Photo – A trusted name in photo processing for over 60 years.

[kaseki]

I have used Photosmith, in Dover NH, for film development and scanning. I don't know if they do Ektachrome.

[stevebrot]

There are a couple of places near me that have a good reputation, what is the going rate for arms and legs?

Blue Moon Camera | Film Processing

Citizen's Photo | Film Processing

Citizens does accept and return by mail, but a phone call might be needed to work out payment. I am not sure what they use now for a processor, but they used to have a Refrema dip and dunk setup...very cool.


Steve

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Last edited by stevebrot; 07-08-2020 at 10:57 AM.

[gofour3]

+ 1 for Dwayne's.

Phil.

[barondla]

Dwayne's was the last lab in the US, and possibly the world to develop Kodachrome. Compared to Kodachrome, Ektachrome is child's play to process.

Thanks,
barondla

[Silent Street]

Dwayne's was the last lab in the US, and possibly the world to develop Kodachrome. Compared to Kodachrome, Ektachrome is child's play to process.

Not quite historically correct. Lighthouse Labs here in Australia, in Sydney processed Kodachrome for about 2 years after its demise, with a huge amount of research, experimentation, trial and error. It then also offered custom roll-by-roll processing of PKL long after processing ceased, with a cost of AUD$250 (!) per 35mm roll. Unsurprisingly, despite the legions of over-excited carnival barkers salivating over the prospect of the Kodachrome snaps being processed (finally!), there were only 2 takers, and the results were not up there with the original PKL processing quality. The message is rather for people still holding out for the proverbial Resurrection Day! But that's how difficult PKL is to process, as it is, under the skin, a B&W film with colour couplers added in processing. That bit was not so very straightforward!

Meanwhile, Ektachrome can be easily processed in a 3-bath home processing kit, one of which recently announced allows the novelty of changing the colour palette (aka profile) during the processing; this was on PetaPixel (?) somewhere recently.

[desertscape]

The problem is that 220 is not done by many labs anymore. AgX Imaging in Michigan does it and does a great job. It is E6 only and I believe that Ektachrome is E6?

[rdenney]

Yes, Ektachrome is the very progenitor of the E-series processing chemistry.

Rick “who started while in college with E-4, processing 220 and making proofs for a rodeo photographer” Denney

[stevebrot]

and I believe that Ektachrome is E6?

For recent product, yes. If shooting expired (say, pre-1996), a lab that offers E4 might be needed. For a history of Ektachrome processing, see...

Ektachrome - Wikipedia


Steve

[Ed Hurst]

I am pretty sure that Ektachrome went over to E6 processing long before 1996. The E4 process stopped being mainstream in the late 70s (I think) and was only maintained for a couple of specialist applications (if I remember rightly, an infrared film and maybe one other obscure purpose) and due to some legal or contractual obligation on Kodak to keep offering it. Essentially, any Ektachrome film you are likely to have (i.e. anything newer than the late 70s) is almost certain to need E6 processing.

Please correct me if I'm wrong - this is just what I recall :-)

[rdenney]

1978, but not universally. Consumer Ektachrome was a little later.

Rick “Ejtacgrome was the standard for process-color publication photos” Denney

[Ed Hurst]

Thanks, Rick. But presumably LONG before 1996, any Ektachrome film sold was E6, right?

[stevebrot]

I am pretty sure that Ektachrome went over to E6 processing long before 1996.

You are correct. E6 films became broadly available in 1977, though some E4 emulsions remained in production until the mid-1990s. Wikipedia lists Kodak PCF (photomicrography) and Kodak IE (color infra-red) as the hold-overs. I don't know that any lab is able to do E4.


Steve

[Ed Hurst]

So, on that basis, unless you happen to have an Ektachrome film dating back a looooooooooooooong way, you can pretty much assume it's E6.